Mentalist Episode Tag: The Red Barn, 5x13
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Set immediately post-episode. Jane and Lisbon ruminate further about Visualize, Red John, and life choices. Spoilers, 5x13. Friendship fic.


A/N: What a mean cliffie! LOL. The episode was great, except for the stupid stripper at Lisbon's party. I mean, really? So Jane has narrowed down his list considerably (over 2,000 to begin with?). Boy, you gotta hand it to that memory palace of his. And now we have proof that Red John and Visualize were intimately connected. Not in the exact way I thought, of course, but that's a good thing that the show is remaining unpredictable. And how about the revelation about Ray Haffner? Wow. And how many of you were hoping that Jane was doing something for Lisbon in that attic? I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, given how obsessed he is. Oh, well.

Here's my tag. It doesn't answer to the cliffie they left us with (I'll leave that to the professionals), but it does pick up again with them in the attic.

**Episode tag: The Red Barn, 5x13**

"Why are you still here, Lisbon?" asked Jane, over tea later. They were sitting around his desk against the window of the attic. His connection board loomed behind them, as if Red John himself were watching them, mocking his meager efforts.

Lisbon sipped her tea, trying to process top names he'd come up with. She was floored by some, in disbelief about others, and thought some names were just plain crazy.

"You made me tea," she replied.

"Obtuse doesn't look good on you. Why are you still with the CBI? You could have been a Federal agent by now, or working in a private security firm or something."

She looked at him over her cup, startled. "How did you know that's what Ray offered?"

"I know now. How much was he offering you? Double? Triple?"

At her flinch, he nodded. "You should have taken it."

"Like I told him, it's not about the money."

He looked at her benignly. "It's about me, isn't it?"

"No," she said immediately. He raised an eyebrow at her lie.

"You're worried that once I get Red John, that'll be it for me. And I'm close, Lisbon. So damn close. You can feel it too. That's why Haffner got to you."

She didn't say anything, which of course confirmed for Jane all that he'd suggested.

"It's all right, Lisbon. I get it. I've never been someone you could really rely on, have I? You shouldn't let me get in the way of planning for your future."

"You want me to leave."

"Of course not; don't be silly. Still, I can't be sure what I might do after Red John is dead—"

"Or in prison," she corrected.

"Or dead," he maintained with a wave of his hand. "But we'll cross that bridge, etcetera, etcetera. I do know that whatever comes, I would want you to be happy in what you're doing; appreciated for your hard work. Rewarded properly for it too. Go with your gut, Lisbon, and don't give me a second thought. I'll muddle through."

"Who would take care of you?" she asked, amused. "Who would put up with your crap? Ray himself found out the hard way that he couldn't manage you. Hightower came closest, but Minelli just indulged you, and Wainwright had no idea what to do with you. Without me, who is going to care enough to protect you from yourself?"

He smiled a little sadly. "Who, indeed?"

They were silent a few moments, drinking their tea, Jane's eyes following the strings on his board, finally happy to have some sort of concrete map to work with, instead of the dizzying strings that constantly swirled, stretched and broke in his mind.

"Ray's a member of Visualize," said Lisbon suddenly. "Did you know that?"

Jane's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "I had no idea. It fits though; he was so damn suggestible. Easy pickin's for Bret Stiles."

"He was very evasive when I asked whether he ever worked on that farm. I think he did, and I think you should talk to him about that."

"I will, Lisbon. Thanks." He watched her face, noting the crease on her forehead, the tired slump of her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Lisbon."

"Why?"

"Haffner's job offer. You can't count on his sincerity since it was coming from a member of Visualize. It might be a way that Stiles is trying to manipulate you—manipulate _us._ And since there is finally evidence of Red John's association with Visualize…"

He let his thought trail off, seeing that Lisbon had been thinking along the same lines.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

She looked over at him, and a small smile softened her face. "I was going to turn him down regardless," she admitted. "And it really has nothing to do with you, Mr. Ego."

"Oh?" He was skeptical.

"Like I told Ray, I don't do this job for the money. I put away bad guys. _Really _bad guys. And I haven't spent most of the last ten years of my life trying to get Red John to give up now. I want to be in on that. Can't let you get all the glory." Her eyes went to Jane's elaborate connection board. It looked like some disturbed child's science project.

"Pretty, cool, eh?" said Jane proudly.

"Yes, Jane. Very cool."

He reached out to touch Lisbon's shoulder. "Happy anniversary, by the way. And for the record, there's no way I personally could have gotten through the last decade without you."

"I know," she said confidently.

Jane only grinned.

A/N: I guess I have to re-evaluate my Red John theory, darnit! I wish Stiles had been on last night, he's so delightfully creepy.

I guess we have to wait awhile for a new episode. In the meantime, please check out my fic, "Ruby Tears." It might help pass the time until we meet again here for another tag. Thanks for reading!


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